Milford Food Bank celebrates Kitchen School students

MILFORD – July is Disability Pride Month.

The Milford branch of the Food Bank of Delaware wanted to honor those students who are enrolled in the Kitchen School at the Food Bank, a program for adults with intellectual disabilities. It is a 12-week program that provides students with culinary training.

On July 24, the students took over the café in the Milford location to serve a barbecue lunch. The students prepared barbecue brisket, chicken and pork along with side options of macaroni and cheese, green beans and coleslaw.

All the proceeds that were collected from the lunch went towards the Food Bank’s culinary training programs.

Chef Shalisa Alexander is the head chef for the Kitchen School. She works directly with the students to help prepare them for future careers in the culinary industry.

“One of my favorite parts is teaching them new things,” said Ms. Alexander. “I try to teach them stuff that I haven’t done in a long time, so it’s like a refresher for me too.”

She teaches them how to cook a variety of foods. However, learning does not stop at cooking.

The students learn how to properly clean the equipment, to punch in on a time clock, working with others in culinary setting and even preparing resume and mock interviews to prepare for jobs after their time at the school.

“Some of them are greedy for knowledge,” said Ms. Alexander. “So it becomes really easy to teach the curriculum.”

Many of the students go on to work in the culinary industry across the state. For example, she is going to visit one of her first students in the program that have a job at the Harrington Raceway and Casino.

“They love working and they are loyal employees,” said Ms. Alexander. “It gives me great pleasure to introduce them to that.”

She enjoys introducing the students to new things.

“The joy on their faces, them learning stuff and tasting stuff they have never tasted before brings me really great joy,” she added.

For more information about the Kitchen School at the Food Bank visit https://www.fbd.org/thekitchenschool/ .